Friday, 26 December 2014

Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo

The Vision Gran Turismo project is a celebration of 15 years of Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo videogame series. Leading manufacturers from the automotive industry were invited by Kazunori Yamauchi to design concepts based on the 2-door sportscar theme. Over time these concepts are being revealed and introduced into the Gran Turismo 6 game on PlayStation 3.
Mazda's creation was recently unveiled and made available to gamers on Christmas Day. The design is named the LM55 and represents a tribute to the 1991 Le Mans winning number 55 car, which is also available to drive in the game. The car has a white livery with subtle hints of the red and grey shades Mazda motorsports colours. The Skyactiv and Kodo: Soul of Motion brands are also used. No details on the engine specification, but it does feature the familiar rotary engine sound of the 787B and Furai.
"For the design of the Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo, the Mazda Design team blended agility with elegance. Its dynamic silhouette is drawn with sensual forms inspired by Mazda’s Kodo design philosophy. Even the shape of the front grille is an interpretation of the Mazda signature front end developed for its production vehicles. The stance of the Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo, reminiscent of the famed 787 B that took overall victory at the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, is powerful yet graceful.
The Mazda LM55 Vision Gran Turismo barely tips the scale with lightweight, carbon fibre components, including a monocoque chassis clad in striking atmospheric-white paint. Pair this with advanced drive train technology that offers the epitome of power, efficiency and durability and the result is an exceptional power to weight ratio exceeding that of most cars in its class."
It's certainly a dramatically proportioned car with an ultra-low stance. There're hints of Furai and the current LMP2 racecar in the design. After the Furai's untimely demise, it's nice to see Mazda designing a Le Mans style prototype again, even if it is only virtual.
Click this link to read more about Vision Gran Turismo